The present invention relates to a copper converter in which melting of a concentrate is carried out simultaneously with the oxidation of a matte which has been produced in a smelting furnace.
Japanese Patent (18-month) Publication No. 57-192233 discloses such a kind of a copper converter, in which concentrate blowing pipes are inserted into corresponding tuyeres of the converter, the tuyeres being each communicated to a blast pipe. In this prior art converter, a concentrate is supplied to a tank, from which it is blown with pressurized air through the blowing pipes into the converter while pressurized air is supplied from the blast pipe into the tuyeres so as to surround the blowing pipes and into the converter. Although this converter is advantageous in that it reduces fuel consumption and hence an amount of resultant fuel combustion gases, it has a drawback in that it is rather laborious to insert the concentrate blowing pipes into and remove them from the tuyeres in connection with the turning of the converter for charging a matte produced in a reverberatory furnace into the converter and for discharging a blister copper produced in it. This deteriorates the productivity of the converter.